Welcome to DBSTalk

Welcome to DBSTalk. Our community covers all aspects of video delivery solutions including: Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), Cable Television, and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). We also have forums to discuss popular television programs, home theater equipment, and internet streaming service providers. Members of our community include experts who can help you solve technical problems, industry professionals, company representatives, and novices who are here to learn.

Like most online communities you must register to view or post in our community. Sign-up is a free and simple process that requires minimal information. Be a part of our community by signing in or creating an account. The Digital Bit Stream starts here!

Great idea!....however, I'm afraid that Directv doesn't have enough imagination to add them or BBC World News or Al Jazeera or France 24 etc. etc. For whatever reason(s), they seem to have a real prejudice against international news channels.

Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt. --Ambrose Bierce

Why did ESPN enter into a 23 year deal with the SEC? It is because they know that they can sell the SEC. I do not live in an SEC city (or state, for that matter), but my local TV station carries SEC games on a sub-channel. Fortunately, I can usually get the same game in HD on Fox Sports South on DirecTV, but my point is that the SEC has such a large following, even outside of the SEC footprint, that channels want the SEC games.

Okay. Let's see. A few notes. First, ESPN wanted to be the Big Ten's partner. They were ticked off that the Big Ten picked Fox. (Followed by a very different coverage of the Big Ten on Sportscenter, etc., after that.)

Not sure if ESPN approached the PAC 12 or not. They may have. ESPN is not as choosy as you make them out to be. They are the purveyor of the ill-fated Longhorn Network, after all.

As for the SEC coverage. Up until now, it pretty much stinks. Outside of their national contracts with CBS and ESPN (which pretty much match those for the other major conferences including the PAC 12), they have a lot of sub-channel coverage and in 2010 (and maybe still today), their station in the Florida panhandle was SD only. Their "network" until now (and really until the future) is no more larger than the ACC comglomeration.

Yes, SEC football is popular but so are other conferences. Beyond Kentucky in basketball, their basketball footprint is pretty non-existent except when a team makes a short lived splash like the Gators did a few years back.

That being said, they are still a better sell than the PAC 12, not because of success or fan following (the PAC 12 is probably a better sell in non-football, non-basketball areas) but because of their time zone and games being available across the country when people are awake. I've made the point before, Noon, 3:30 and 7 pm ET game times sell better nationally than 3:30, 7pm and 10 pm ET.

But don't put the SEC on a pedastel. The major conferences are not all that different. SEC, PAC 12, Big Ten, Big XII and maybe the ACC if it grows football as part of its expansion are all heavy hitters.

And comparing Utah when it was not in a major conference to PAC 12 schools today is a disservice.

Great idea!....however, I'm afraid that Directv doesn't have enough imagination to add them or BBC World News or Al Jazeera or France 24 etc. etc. For whatever reason(s), they seem to have a real prejudice against international news channels.

Real bummer, would be nice to see a little spice added to the HD lineup.

If Directv does indeed take a pass on both the Pac-12 network and the new Lakers channels, it'll be interesting to compare Direct rate increases next spring vs. what happens at Dish, Time-Warner and the others. I suspect there are more than a few cable customers that will be getting very large rate increases in the next six months, especially those out west.

Next on my HD wish list: H2, Ovation

.................... There are none so blind as those who can not see it in HD........... Directv customer since January 2000...........

Is there a way to block posts that have the words "PAC 12" or better still, any references to sports in general? All of this nonsense about silly ballgames and who should or should not carry them has become extremely tiresome. If it must be talked about, it should be done elsewhere.

Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt. --Ambrose Bierce

If Directv does indeed take a pass on both the Pac-12 network and the new Lakers channels, it'll be interesting to compare Direct rate increases next spring vs. what happens at Dish, Time-Warner and the others. I suspect there are more than a few cable customers that will be getting very large rate increases in the next six months, especially those out west.

Next on my HD wish list: H2, Ovation

We'll have to see what providers even take the Lakers/TWC networks. Not a single one has so far.

We'll have to see what providers even take the Lakers/TWC networks. Not a single one has so far.

Seems that TWC is actually trying to sell it. Only because it is odd that they have a webpage urging people to ask for it from their provider. If they were going the way of Comcast in Philly, would they do that just to make it look good? Wouldn't they just sell their services?

Reports have estimated Time Warner Cable committed $2 billion to $3 billion for the Lakers’ rights and that it’s seeking as much as $3.95 per month, per subscriber in carriage fees. The channels will be on Time Warner Cable’s systems in the Los Angeles market, but TWC has not reached deals with other distributors yet.

I'm not sure that is fuzzy wording saying that these two channels will ONLY (for the time being) be on Los Angeles TWC systems...or saying that they will be on all TWC systems, but specifically in Los Angeles.

Real bummer, would be nice to see a little spice added to the HD lineup.

I would watch international news channels in SD.

[Disclaimer] The definition of "soon" is based solely on DirecTV's interpretation of the word, and all similarities with dictionary definitions of the word "soon" are purely coincidental and should not be interpreted as a time frame that will come to pass within a reasonable amount of time.

That being said, they are still a better sell than the PAC 12, not because of success or fan following (the PAC 12 is probably a better sell in non-football, non-basketball areas) but because of their time zone and games being available across the country when people are awake. I've made the point before, Noon, 3:30 and 7 pm ET game times sell better nationally than 3:30, 7pm and 10 pm ET..

Tonyd, I think you have hit the biggest issue and what a lot of the arguing back and forth is about. On the West Coast a game that starts at 7pm, is 10pm back east. A lot of people are asleep or don't bother to watch as the news is on. Whereas on the WC that's primetime and why many sports fans on the West Coast want the channel. Many people will watch the earlier games (9am/noon) games on the WC, but you also are battling other things going on be it kids sports, projects to be completed etc. The later afternoon games draw a larger auidence here.

That being said, we do have some benefits-10am NFL Games, 4pm NBA/MLB games when the teams we follow are on an East Coast "swing" that still gives us a good part of the night to enjoy.

i am not being rude, they keep going back and fort on this subject, enough is enough.

I'd perhaps agree "enough is enough" for the Pac-12 on this thread and further discussion should be moved to its own thread, but this is a discussion forum which is supposed to go "back and forth" on a particular thread topic as long as the exchanges are kept respectful.

Tonyd, I think you have hit the biggest issue and what a lot of the arguing back and forth is about. On the West Coast a game that starts at 7pm, is 10pm back east. A lot of people are asleep or don't bother to watch as the news is on. Whereas on the WC that's primetime and why many sports fans on the West Coast want the channel. Many people will watch the earlier games (9am/noon) games on the WC, but you also are battling other things going on be it kids sports, projects to be completed etc. The later afternoon games draw a larger auidence here.

That being said, we do have some benefits-10am NFL Games, 4pm NBA/MLB games when the teams we follow are on an East Coast "swing" that still gives us a good part of the night to enjoy.

First time I was in LA on an nfl Sunday, my nephew and I almost didn't get out of bed. We slept in and woke to football.

It works well for those watching but is a disadvantage for the teams because they don't get the exposure. happens in all sports.

Tonyd, I think you have hit the biggest issue and what a lot of the arguing back and forth is about. On the West Coast a game that starts at 7pm, is 10pm back east. A lot of people are asleep or don't bother to watch as the news is on. Whereas on the WC that's primetime and why many sports fans on the West Coast want the channel. Many people will watch the earlier games (9am/noon) games on the WC, but you also are battling other things going on be it kids sports, projects to be completed etc. The later afternoon games draw a larger auidence here.

That being said, we do have some benefits-10am NFL Games, 4pm NBA/MLB games when the teams we follow are on an East Coast "swing" that still gives us a good part of the night to enjoy.

The early-in-the-season Arizona and Arizona State games are at 7 pm for a good reason. You don't really want to play football when the temperature is >100F.

Now that we have ION East HD, maybe DirecTV can fix an error in channel mapping. Denver, Channel 59 (KPXC), the local ION station, broadcasts the feed from ION East. DirecTV has it mapped to ION West. Maybe the DirecTV programming Gods will see this and make the appropriate correction.

DirecTV has it mapped to ION West. Maybe the DirecTV programming Gods will see this and make the appropriate correction.

Are you SURE it's NOT the problem in the listings from Tribune Media Services - where D* gets it's EPG info from? Have you tried going to zap2it.com & checking those listings for your local station, & see if those listings are incorrect as well?

If they ARE, then you really need to be contacting your local station (1st choice), or contact TMS & have them fix it - which should then fix the D* listings accordingly...

Are you SURE it's NOT the problem in the listings from Tribune Media Services - where D* gets it's EPG info from? Have you tried going to zap2it.com & checking those listings for your local station, & see if those listings are incorrect as well?

If they ARE, then you really need to be contacting your local station (1st choice), or contact TMS & have them fix it.

Actually, I looked in the local Denver TV listings and what was airing on ION East HD, and they were the same.

The Mountain Time zone normally uses the east feeds for pretty much everything. Network shows on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, CW, are usually recorded and delayed one hour; even so called "live" entertainment shows except fro sporting events and specials like the Oscars. Prime time is from 7 PM - 10 PM.